The presence of religious-themed controversies during the Christmas season is nothing new. In the past few weeks, stories about atheist ads appearing on public transportation and whether a creche would be present in the Obama White House  have both made the New York Times.

However,  we may not be as religiously polarized as some of these controversies might indicate. Results of a new survey released by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life find a significant amount of religiously pluralistic practices among Americans, including the fact that “large numbers of Americans engage in multiple religious practices, mixing elements of diverse traditions.”

According to Pew, 35% of Americans attend religious services in more than one place, and 24% of Americans sometimes attend services (excluding weddings or funerals) of a faith different than their own. Among the Christians surveyed, 30% of Protestants  and 19% of Catholics sometimes attend services of a faith different than their own.

Furthermore, the Pew survey found that  significant portions of American Christians “profess belief in a variety of Eastern or New Age beliefs”.  In many cases, the percentage of Christians expressing such beliefs  is nearly indistinguishable from the percentage among total population. For example, 26% of the total sample and 21% of Christians surveyed believe that there is spiritual energy in trees, along with 25% (total) and 21% (Christians) who believe in astrology,  24% (total) and 22% (Christians) who believe in reincarnation, and 16% (total) and 17% (Christians) who believe in the evil eye/casting of curses.

Do your religious beliefs, if you have them, adhere strictly to one faith tradition? If Americans continue mixing their religious  beliefs to the degree described by Pew, are we likely to see a decrease in Christmas-related controversies?

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We recently included several winning Top Question Tuesday selections on an interactive poll. Stay tuned to this blog as we’ll be releasing the results over the next several weeks! And don’t forget to submit your own nominations for Top Question Tuesday using the box on the right of this blog.

One question asked whether respondents were more religious, less religious, or about as equally religious as their parents. Overall, 21% felt they were more religious than their parents, while 34% felt they were less religious, 41% said they were equally as religious, and 4% were not sure.

Groups that are more likely than average to say they were less religious than their parents include respondents aged 18-29 (41%), those who live in small cities (44%), and those who are single (42%) or divorced/separated (40%). Groups that are more likely than average to say they are more religious than their parents include those who live in rural areas (25%), Protestants (26%), and those with some college education but not a college degree (23%).

Do you believe you are more, less or equally as religious as your parents?

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Are we now seeing the beginnings of a shift of religious activism to the left in response to global climate change?

Zogby International completed a survey for the Catholic Coalition on Climate Change that found majorities of Catholics making a connection between the tenants of their faith and the need to act to reverse climate change. This need to act tied directly to Catholic beliefs on protecting God’s creation, as well as the poor and future generations.

There has also been growing interest in this issue from evangelical Protestants. Here is part of a report from the April 23 Charlotte Observer: “Leading the charge is Jonathan Merritt, a graduate of Southeastern and the son of former Southern Baptist President James Merritt. Now an Atlanta-based writer, Merritt said the environment is no longer the exclusive domain of the liberal left.

“In the last few years we’ve seen many conservatives say this is a moral issue, and Christians have an answer for it,” Merritt said. He points to pastors such as Rick Warren, the Southern Baptist megachurch minister who has shown an environmental awareness.”

The Evangelical Environmental Network provides a guide for churches to explore what the group calls Creation Care. Televangelist Pat Robertson appears in TV ads with liberal Al Sharpton to promote climate change action. 

Is global climate change a religious issue that could unite liberals and conservatives?  Will social issues like abortion and gay rights recede from the political spotlight to be replaced by climate change?

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